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GENESIS OF A TERROR PLAN
Acting Special Agent in Charge Jeff
Fortunato of the FBI’s Cleveland
Division said, “In a matter of
months, Damon Joseph progressed
from radicalized, virtual jihadist to
attack planner.”
From the affidavit filed in U.S.
District Court in Toledo, we know
that earlier in 2018, Joseph drew
the attention of law enforcement
by posting photographs of weapons
and messages in support of ISIS
on his social media accounts,
which led to multiple interactions
between Joseph and undercover
FBI agents.
Undercover agents reported
that Joseph stated his support for
ISIS and for violent attacks and
operations. For example, on Oct.
21, Joseph expressed support for
“martyrdom operations” and stated:
“What must be done, must be
done” and “There will always be
casualties of war.”
On Oct. 30, Joseph and the
undercover agent communicated
regarding the mass shooting at a
Jewish synagogue in Pittsburgh.
Joseph said: “I admire what the guy
did with the shooting actually.” He
added: “I can see myself carrying
out this type of operation inshallah
[God willing]. They wouldn’t even
expect [an attack] in my area …”
On Dec. 2, he forwarded a
document to undercover agents
that laid out his plans for an attack,
using the name “Abdullah Ali
Yusuf ” for himself. The document
described plans to attack where
the greatest number of people are
gathered, inflict the most casualties
during the attack and make sure no
one escaped.
On Dec. 4, Joseph stated he was
deciding between two synagogues
in the area to attack. He stated the
choice would depend on “which
one will have the most people, what
time and what day. Go big or go
home.”
The next day, Joseph met with
an undercover FBI agent and
discussed conducting a mass
shooting at a synagogue. Joseph
identified his targets and discussed
the types of weapons he believed
would be able to inflict mass
casualties. He made written notes

about the firearms he wanted and
provided them to the undercover
agent, stating he wanted AR 15s,
AK 47, Glocks and ammunition.
On Dec. 6, Joseph met with an
undercover agent in the Toledo
area and stated it would be ideal
to attack two synagogues, but that
it was probably more realistic to
only attack one. He also stated
specifically that he wanted to kill
a rabbi. Also on Dec. 6, Joseph
wrote the name and address of the
synagogue where the attack was to
occur. He pulled up photographs
of the inside of the synagogue and
said he wanted the attack to begin
in the sanctuary.
Later that day, the undercover
agent told Joseph that he purchased
rifles for the attack. The two met
on Dec. 7 at a predetermined
location and Joseph took a black
duffel bag containing two semi-
automatic rifles, which had
been rendered inoperable by law
enforcement officers so that they
posed no danger to the public.
Joseph was then arrested.
“On behalf of the citizens of
Toledo, I would like to thank the
FBI, Homeland Security, the Toledo
Police Department and all law-
enforcement agencies that played
a role in helping to prevent a
potential catastrophe,” said Toledo
Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz in a
statement. “We cannot tolerate hate
directed toward people of Jewish
faith or of any other religion,
and last month’s mass killing at a
Pittsburgh synagogue is a reminder
of just how real this threat is.”

CLOSE TO HOME
Physically, the targeted synagogues
are less than 100 miles from Metro
Detroit, but the threat hit even
closer to home for local Rabbi Jason
Miller, who is a visiting rabbi at
Congregation B’nai Israel, where he
leads services for the High Holidays.
He very well could have been the
rabbi Joseph “wanted to kill.”
“It’s pretty scary, especially after
Pittsburgh,” Miller said. “There’s
part of me that’s very much aware
of heightened anti-Semitic feelings
out there among fringe elements,
but it’s not something that would
keep me off the bimah.”

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December 20 • 2018

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